Rose
by RenkonNairu
Summary: Sequel to "Branch" in the Ben 10 fandom. Devlin and Kenny must GO DEEPER to repair their relationship. The path you must take has already been laid out for you.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Ben 10 or its sequels, spin-off and related characters. All is the property of Man of Action and Cartoon Network. I'm just borrowing them for some non-profit entertainment.

(A/N: This fic is a sequel to one of my other Ben 10 fics, "Branch". Which is in turn a sequel to one of my other Ben 10 fics, "Growth", which is in turn a sequel to another Ben 10 fic "Roots", which is the sequel to my first Ben 10 fic, "Thorns". I do recommend reading at least one of them first as they all take place along a fanon AU and are a mix of several different series canons. It will make much more sense to you if you read them in order. However, each story is also its own self-contained adventure -rather like episodes in a series. So you can still pick and choose ones to read and -hopefully- not be _too_ confused. Anyway, you have been warned. Enjoy!)

(A/N2: This fic is gonna be weird. I mean, like, really weird. Ever seen the anime "Revolutionary Girl Utena"? Its literally that exact same weird. Specifically season two, the Black Roses arc level of weird. The answer to all of life's problems is to kill the Rose Bride. That's not a spoiler, its a warning. If you still wanna read, then have fun!)

(A/N3: This fic is **FULLY ILLUSTRATED** on AO3.)

Rose

Prologue:

 _Five Years Ago..._

Gawky and uncoordinated, Devlin was still trying to get used to his new, skinny, human legs. His body felt unbalanced without wings or a tail on his back -he was always falling forward, scraping the softer, thinner skin of his human knees. He felt weaker with only two arms, and was able to do fewer things at once.

When two boys from Devlin and Kenny's class took his backpack from him after school, the young Osmosian had trouble getting it back.

They tossed it between each other, playing a game they called 'Keep Away', but Devlin wasn't having fun. He would run to the one that had the backpack, but just as he got close, he would throw the pack to his friend. The Osmosian was smart and caught on quickly, instead of going after the boys themselves, he tried jumping to catch the backpack mid-toss. Except that he wasn't as fast on his human feet, couldn't jump as high with his skinny legs, was off balance without his wings and tail, and ended up missing his landings. Falling flat on his face.

The game ended when they grew board threw the backpack in the trash.

Devlin climbed into the dumpster after it, and they slammed the lid shut on him.

That was when Kenny showed up with the brand new Omnitrix his father gave him for his tenth birthday. He blocked the bullies path, glaring at them, green eyes blazing. "Where's Devlin!?"

Exchanging a look the two bullies decided they were not intimidated by the other boy and smirked at him. "We were just helping Baby 11,000 take out the trash."

His green eyes shifted from the two boys to the large dumpster behind them. The dumpster with its lid firmly shut. "You didn't!"

Overcome with rage, Kenny didn't care what alien his new faux-Omnitrix gave him. He slammed his palm down on the watch face. There was a flash of green light and where there once had been standing an angry ten-year-old there was now a large and pissed off Tetramand.

"Four-Arms!" Picking up each bully with one of his four thick red hands, Kenny brought the boys close to his face so that he could glare at them with all four of his sharp oval eyes. "You threw my cousin in the trash!"

"We didn't throw him!" One boy attempted to explain, voice shaking with nerves. They might not have been intimidated before, after all, there was two of them and only one of Kenny. But that was before Kenny turned into a large, multiple limbed, muscular alien that was perfectly capable of ripping them apart. "He climbed in on his own!"

Kenny shook the one that had spoken, focussing the full attention of his multiple eyes on him. "Why would he climb into the trash?"

"We-" the bully hesitated. What would the changling do to him? He wouldn't kill him, right? Kevin 11,000 was the one that killed people. Ben 10,000 was a hero, protector, savior -a superhero- and Kenny was Ben 10,000's son. He wouldn't kill them. He would really even hurt them very much... right? "We threw his backpack in there."

"You what!?" Roared the Tetramand.

"He did it!" The one that hadn't spoken yet jabbed an accusatory finger at the firs talker. "Then he closed the lid on him!"

"What!?" The Tetramand roared again.

Kenny didn't know what to think. He knew Devlin was being bullied. He was skinny and awkward. He didn't walk quite right yet, was always tripping over his own feet and falling over. Was pale and skinny. And kept his hair long to the point where he sometimes looked like a girl. But recently, people had also started taunting him about his last name.

Levin.

They were starting a unit on recent events in their history class and one of their texbooks mentioned a terrorist named Kevin Levin. Devlin's dad was also named 'Kevin Levin', so everyone decided that he was the son of the evil Kevin 11,000 their textbooks talked about. All of the teasing Devlin was already enduring seemed to multiply exponentially after that.

The frightening thing was that it was true. Devlin's dad really was Kevin 11,000. But that shouldn't matter because Devlin had never met the man. He was sent to the Null Void when Devlin was still just an infant. Only eleven weeks old and to young to remember his father. The other kids had no right to punish him for the bad things his father did. They had no right to torture him or lock him dumpsters because he happened to be the son of a bad guy.

Four eyes narrowing, Kenny glared at the two boys he held. They were the worst of Devlin's bullies, but there were others.

"Now you listen to me." He growled. "It doesn't matter who Devlin's dad is or isn't. Devlin is _my_ cousin. He lives with _me_. You mess with him, you are messing with _me_! Do you wanna mess with me?"

Both boys gulped hard, their eyes drifting from Kenny's smoldering eyes to his rippling Tetramand muscles. No. They did not want to mess with a kid that could turn into that -or anything else for that matter. They both nodded as best they could with Kenny holding them by the fronts of their shirts.

"We'll stop." They promised.

"Good." Kenny let them go. "And make sure everyone else who's been bothering Dev knows."

"We will." They promised again -and ran away.

It was a good thing they ran away when they did too. Because the faux-Omnitrix timed out just then. Kenny would not have been able to keep up his intimidation.

Turning his attention to the dumpster that held his cousin, Kenny pulled a box over to it so that he could climb up enough to lift the lid. Devlin was inside. His backpack was in there too, but the Osmosian wasn't paying attention to it. He was curled up in a ball, resting in a nest of discarded paints and papers from the art classroom, all in shades of green. They must have been attempting to teach landscapes, but the crumpled papers looked more like a bed of green roses.

"Dev...?" Kenny ventured, unsure. "Are you okay?"

For a moment the younger boy wondered whether or not his cousin heard him.

Then the Osmosian curled up tighter, burying his face in the crumpled green paper.

"I wish I could die." He informed the garbage in which he lay. "I wish I was never born."

"You don't mean that." Kenny told him firmly. He threw the lid all the way open and reached a hand in to help his cousin out. Devlin just had to reach back. "Give me your hand. I'll pull you out."

But the Osmosian didn't move. He just laid there, curled up in the fetal position. Not crying over his misfortune. Just motionless.

"Dev, give me your hand." Kenny said again.

"Why bother?" Devlin eventually asked. "You heard Great-grandpa Max. The 'Kevin' from history class is the same Kevin that's my dad. My dad's a bad guy. I'm a bad guy."

"That's not true." Insisted the younger boy. "You're Devlin. You're my cousin. We live together. We're kinda like brothers. You don't have to be a bad guy if you don't want to. If anyone ever tries to hurt you again because of who your dad is, tell me! I'll protect you. I'll grow up and be a Hero one day so I can be your protector, Dev! Now give me your hand!"

…

 _Once upon a time, there were two Princes that lived in a tower above the city._

 _One day, while the Princes were at their lessons, the older one was attacked but there was no Hero around to save him. So, the younger one vowed that when he grew up the Prince would become a Hero himself one day._

…


	2. Blank Roses

Disclaimer: I do not own Ben 10 or its sequels, spin-off and related characters. All is the property of Man of Action and Cartoon Network. I'm just borrowing them for some non-profit entertainment.

Rose

Chapter One: Blank Roses

 _Present Day..._

Kenny started awake when the truck bounced as it rolled over the slight dip between the street and Mr. Smoothy's parking lot. He jerked, not quite remembering where he was for a moment. "Whus goin' on?"

Blinking, he realized he must have been asleep. He remembered having a dream, but he couldn't quite remember what it was about. Devlin was there -and roses. Green roses. But the images were there and gone in an instant. An hour from now, the boy knew he wouldn't be able to remember even having a dream at all.

"Nap's over." Ally told him from the driver's seat.

It was the last weekend before summer break ended and they had to return to school. So, she had come from Coble to spend the last few days of vacation with him in Bellwood. Since Devlin was too busy getting ready for his transfer to a different school, and building a relationship with his new boyfriend, Sigil. Kenny was glad for the company. He was actually starting to wonder if his cousin's new commitments that took him away from the younger boy were really just a pretext to avoid him.

As much as Kenny was still grappling with his own trust issues -and he was having his own hard time with it- Devlin was working through his own short comings.

Kenny -more of less- forgave Devlin for trying to absorb him at the Rooters base, but things between them weren't exactly back to the way they used to be yet. For starters, even if Kenny now understood why it happened and forgave the older boy for it, that didn't mean that it would never happen again. Devlin was still Osmosian and still perfectly capable of absorbing his faux-Omnitrix again. Forgiveness was one thing, but trust was a different animal entirely. Kenny forgave Devlin, but he still wasn't quite sure if he trusted him again.

And while Kenny was struggling with that, Devlin was grappling with his own issue of jealousy. He wouldn't admit it out loud. But the Osmosian was deeply jealous of his younger cousin.

At the time that Devlin absorbed the faux-Omnitrix and went mad, the Osmosian also made the incredible discovery that Kenny was an Anodite. The younger boy had no idea at the time, and now even knowing what he was, Kenny still couldn't access his mana. But that didn't matter much to Devlin. All his life, the Osmosian wanted different powers, any powers. Powers that didn't come from his criminal father. Powers that wouldn't make him lose his mind if he used them, or hurt those around him. He wanted his mother's powers. Gwendolyn's powers. Anodite powers. Devlin always wanted to be an Anodite instead of an Osmosian, but Kenny got to be the Anodite instead.

Ally hopped out of the truck. Determined to distract Kenny from his dark thoughts for at least a few hours.

With a sigh, the boy followed her up to the order counter.

He paused again when he actually got to the counter however. One eyebrow raised in skepticism. He recognized the one running the register. Dark blue skin and the grill-like triangle that passed as a mouth for insect-type aliens. Human-shaped pale blue eyes, above a human nose. Mingled Earthling and Necrofriggian features. Dylan Billings.

Billings used to be completely human. He attended the Weekend Academy with Kenny and Devlin, and was one of the kids taken by Proctor Servantis when he tried to revive his Amalgam Project. Using Devlin's Osmosian abilities, Servantis grafted Necrofriggian DNA onto Billing's human genes. Ever since, he'd been stuck as another human-alien hybrid.

"Well, look who it is." Billings recognized Kenny too.

"Hey, Billings." Kenny forced a friendly smile on his face. They weren't exactly friends. But after Devlin absorbed Kenny's faux-Omnitrix, the two boys had come to a sort of 'understanding'. "I didn't know you worked here."

"I'm eighteen now." The older boy ruffled his moth-like wings and crossed his arms over his chest. "You know what that means? My foster parent no longer gets a monthly stipend for letting me stay with her. I was planning to be at the real Academy at Galvan by now, but thanks to you and Fake-Tennyson, our Psychologicals were postponed. So I'm left having to scramble to support myself. Now, are you and Albright gonna order, or just gawk at me all day? -And you better freaking tip well! I've got rent to pay now! _Everything is rent._ "

"Um." Kenny began, suddenly unsure.

It was true that after the Rooters fiasco, their Psychologicals were postponed. Ever since Magister Kevin Levin went off the rails and became the worst terrorist the universe had ever seen -the criminal known as Kevin 11,000- the Plumbers changed some things. Now, all Cadets had to take regular psychological exams before they could advance in training, or even get their Plumbers badges at all. Nobody wanted to be responsible for training and outfitting another Kevin 11,000.

But since their Psychologicals had been postponed, Kenny, Devlin, Ally, and Billings couldn't advance to the next steps in their respective training. Devlin, Kenny, and Ally, couldn't move onto their second year at the Weekend Academy, and Billings couldn't graduate up into the real Academy at Galvan. ...And it looked like the older boy had been depending on that advancement to the real Academy.

"Um..." He said again.

Ally nudged him to the side. She offered a sympathetic smile to the hybrid alien. "Are there any specific drinks your manager wants you to promote right now? Anything you get extra credit for up-selling?"

Billings gave her a suspicious glare for a second. He was not used to people trying to help him. Finally, he answered. "The new lemongrass and flaxseed smoothy with almond milk."

With a smile -lemongrass and flaxseed sounded awful- Ally nodded. "Then Kenny will have a large of one of those, and I'll just have a regular hot chocolate. I'm not really a fan of cold drinks."

Of course, as a half-alien herself, a member of a species that burned hotter than the core of the Earth, she would prefer hot beverages over cold ones. Ally pulled out her wallet.

"You letting your girlfriend pay, Tennyson?" Billings teased as he rang them up. "Shame on you."

"She's not my girlfriend!" Kenny all but shouted.

While at the exact same time, Ally very calmly informed Billings. "I'm not his girlfriend."

Billings only rolled his eyes. Seemingly unconcerned. "Whatever. Not my business. You can get your drinks at the pick-up window."

"Thanks, Dylan." And Ally dropped a ten terran bill into the tip jar.

"I didn't give you permission to call me by my first name, Albright!" He called after her. But the Pyronite girl was already pulling Kenny away to the pick-up window.

"He's got terrible customer service." Kenny commented when they were finally out of ear shot.

Ally only rolled her eyes. "Well, this isn't exactly what he planned to do with his life, and what he did plan to do with his life has had to be put on hold for reasons beyond his control. Can you really blame him for being a little bitter and resentful? Plus, it sounds like there's other stuff too. Did you know he was a foster kid? I didn't."

Kenny only shrugged. "I think Magister Wheels might have mentioned it to Dad once, but it wasn't really a conversation I was included in, so I wasn't paying attention. I was more concerned with Dev at the time anyway."

Their drinks came up on the pick-up and they moved to a table in the sunlight.

"And how are you and Devlin doing?" She asked. "You seemed to start reconciling back at my house over the summer."

"Yeah, we _started_..." Kenny admitted. They had at least started talking about. Not talking as freely or deeply as they used to when they were close. Now their conversations were stinted, shorter, and superficial. They talked about Kenny's games, Devlin's books, their respective schools, or Devlin's new boyfriend. Man! Did Devlin talk about his new boyfriend. A lot. But they didn't really talk about anything deeper anymore. Not their hopes, not their fears, not their _feelings_.

"Where is Devlin, by the way?" Ally finally asked. "He wasn't at Headquarters when I picked you up."

"Where else?" Kenny shrugged. "With his new boyfriend."

…

Zoraster was the capitol city of Ledgerdomain -where the castle was located.

The castle boasted an expansive garden, mostly for growing herbs and other flora used in the constructing and casting of spells. But a portion of the garden was sequestered off for the Prince's use. Sigil's private garden.

Devlin bent down over a pure white rose and inhaled deeply. Perplexingly, it had no scent. He turned to look at his host, an odd smile on his face. Halfway between admiration and awe. "I've never been to Ledgerdomain before."

Sigil reclined next to a decorative pond that was off center of the garden.

The Osmosian had noticed instantly upon entering the garden, but politely did not comment that there were white stone paths -five white stone paths- criss crossing between the beds. The pond was situated at the juncture of two such paths. At another such juncture was brazier -currently unlit. At another juncture was an empty and unplanted flower bed filled with nothing but rich dark soil. Water, fire, earth. The fourth juncture ended at a sheer drop, the garden falling away into empty air -air. It didn't take a genius to figure out the garden was a pentagram. But then, what did one expect from the grounds attached to a magical castle, in a magical realm, where the magical rulers lived.

"I figured as much." Sigil only smiled at the other boy. Then his eyes fell on the white rose Devlin had been examining. "Take your gloves off."

"Why?" The Osmosian blinked at him.

The sorcerer did not elaborate. He just lifted his chin, silently saying, 'Just go ahead.'

Hesitantly, Devlin hooked a finger under the hem of his gloves. Ever since the incident with the Rooters, when the Osmosian absorbed his cousin's faux-Omnitrix, went insane, and tried to absorb the other boy, Devlin had started wearing the bright green gloves. A light barrier between his hands and anything he might absorb. It was a small precaution. But it made Devlin feel more secure with his powers and more secure with himself. It was also an attempt to try and put Kenny at ease with him and his powers after what happened between them. It didn't work as well at the Osmosian had hoped, but it did help. Now it felt strange to take them off.

Pulling one glove off, he picked the white rose from its stem. A thorn nicked his thumb, a drop of blood trickling onto the shaft. Devlin gasped. The moment his blood touched the stem, the rose's white petals turned a bright, vibrant green. The same shade of green as his eyes. The same shade of green as his car. The same shade of green as his gloves.

Sigil came up behind the other boy. Encircling the Osmosian's waist with his arms, he pulled Devlin's back flush against him and whispered in the other man's ear, his breath warm against the Osmosian's skin. "These roses aren't white. They're _blank_."

"Magic roses." Devlin muttered back, leaning back into his boyfriend's embrace. What else did one expect to find in a magical garden? Magical flowers should have been a given. "Why'd it turn green? What does green mean?"

Besides jealousy.

Devlin already knew he was jealous. Deeply, deeply jealous of the fact that his cousin was an Anodite. All his life, growing up with his father's powers and his father's mutation, all the Osmosian wanted was to be something else. Anything else. His mother was an Anodite, why couldn't he be an Anodite too? Why did he have to be like his father? Why couldn't he be like his mother? Why did Kenny get to be the Anodite? Neither his father, nor his grandfather were Anodites. Vedona's powers did not pass to Carl or Ben. They shouldn't have been passed to Kenny. But they were. It just wasn't fair!

"Green can mean lots of things." The sorcerer muttered, now talking to the other man's neck. His lips intimately close to a pulse-point on Devlin's throat. "Green is an emotionally positive color. It represents the ability to love and care for ourselves and others unconditionally. Its the color of the Peacemaker, it loves to observe, is a good listener, and serves the community."

It was also the color of the Omnitrix and the Plumbers.

"That all sounds very nice." Muttered the Osmosian.

"I think it suits you." Sigil took the rose from Devlin's hands and slipped it into a chest-pocket on the other boy's vest. He turned him around in his arms and leaned in, lips parting.

That was when the Osmosian tensed. Nervous. When their lips met, he brushed his mouth against the other boy's hesitant and unsure. Then pulled away almost instantly.

Sigil humped, pouting with disappointment. "How come you never kiss me?"

"I kiss you all the time." Devlin informed his boyfriend. "We kissed just now!"

"No. I kissed you just now -and you pulled away." The sorcerer informed him. "What's the deal, Devlin? What's your hang up?" A pause. "You're not... you're not secretly in love with your cousin, are you?"

"No! Gawd, no!" The Osmosian was mortified by the question. Especially since the real reason was much simpler and so much more innocent and mundane. "Sigil, you're my first boyfriend. I've never done this before. I don't- I don't know how to kiss."

There was a pregnant pause.

Then Sigil giggled.

Starting low, then climbing in volume until it was a true and proper laugh. Right. Because being laughed at by his boyfriend for not knowing how to kiss didn't make Devlin feel worse at all. The Osmosian pulled away, his face flushing a humiliated shade of red.

"You don't have to laugh at me, ya know." Devlin muttered, not looking at his boyfriend.

Shaking his head, Sigil smiled. "No." He shook his head. "I think its cute. You're weirdly innocent, Devlin."

Closing the space between them, Sigil pulled the Osmosian back into his arms. Devlin tried to pull away again, but the sorcerer held him tight. He was nowhere near as strong as the Osmosian, if Devlin really wanted to break his hold, he easily could. But the other boy knew his own strength and wasn't about to injure his boyfriend over something like this. Besides, it was nice for the insecure teen to be held so fiercely. It made him feel wanted and needed.

"I can teach you how to kiss." Sigil drew a thumb across Devlin's bottom lip. "Close your eyes and open your mouth."

Again, Devlin hesitated. Giving the other man a suspicious look.

"Not, like, a lot." The sorcerer quickly clarified. "Just, part your lips a little bit."

Taking a breath and letting it out in a sigh, Devlin closed his eyes as he was told. His mouth, however, was pinched shut. His lips pressed together with nerves.

"Relax..." Sigil whispered, leaning in close. His own lips almost brushed Devlin's. Almost. But not quite. "Just spread them and whatever happens, happens."

Devlin didn't comply immediately. For a moment, Sigil thought he wasn't going to at all and this little exercise in kissing was over. Then the Osmosian's bottom lip drifted away from his upper lip in a slight, narrow part.

"Good..." Sigil's breath was hot of his mouth. It sent a shiver ghosting down Devlin's spine where it pooled in his belly, and solidified between his legs. "Now lean up."

Tilting his head upwards, their faces were so close together that Devlin ended up brushing his parted lips against Sigil's. The sorcerer snaked a hand behind the Osmosian's head, holding him in place, preventing the other man from breaking the kiss to soon like he always did. Without even realizing it, a moan rumbled up from deep in Devlin's throat. That was when Sigil allowed the kiss to part.

Devlin's face drifted away, oddly breathless. He blinked his eyes open, staring at Sigil with a dumb-struck and dreaming expression on his face.

"See?" Said the sorcerer. "You kissed me."

The Osmosian's cheeks flushed again. This time a lighter shade of modest pink. "I've never kissed anyone before."

"Maybe next time we can try with tongue." Sigil smiled.

That modest pink blush of Devlin's deepened to scarlet.

Still smiling, the sorcerer brushed a strand of ebony hair back behind the other man's ear. "So oddly innocent..."

"Is that bad?" Asked Devlin.

"No." Sigil shook his head. "Its sexy."

That bright red flush was back again. "You think I'm sexy?"

Taking a step back, the sorcerer gave the other man a serious appraising look. Studying him from the top of his ebony pony tail, to the luminous emerald green of his eyes, the bright pink in his high cheekbones, the delicate bob of his adams apple when he swallowed with apprehension, the hollow of his throat where the neck met his chest, the muscles of his arms that rippled under his shirt. Lower to his leather studded belt that showed off just how small his waist was, his narrow hips, the folds in his denim jeans showing that their kiss had excited him as much as it had Sigil. The sorcerer found himself sucking on his own bottom lip.

"So sexy."

Devlin scratched the back of his head, oddly self-conscious. No one had ever called him 'sexy' before. No one had ever found him attractive before. At least, no one that he knew of. This had literally never happened to him before and he had no idea how he was supposed to behave. How did you respond when someone called you sexy?

Finally, the Osmosian said, "I should get home." He quickly decided that was not the right thing to say because immediately after wards he felt awkward. But the words were already out of his mouth. He was committed now. "I'll be starting at my new school soon and I should be getting ready..."

Sigil looked disappointed.

Devlin avoided eye-contact.

Finally the sorcerer sighed. "I suppose I should get you home before your cousin starts to think I'm trying to eat you like my sister tried to eat him."

He probably meant it as a joke. But after everything that had happened between the cousins, Devlin took it seriously. Was Kenny worried about Devlin spending time alone with his boyfriend? When Devlin worried about Kenny being alone with Lightstar, he charged after the two of them, used his Osmosian powers to phase through a door, absorbed Lightstar, and dented the car. If Kenny remained suspicious of Sigil, would the younger boy eventually do the same thing?

So, the Osmosian said, "I would like it if you tried to get along with him."

" _You_ don't even get along with him." The sorcerer shot back without hesitation. Devlin had already told him how they used to be very close, but had grown distant after an incident where Devlin nearly consumed the dormant Anodite. But from what Sigil had seen, they were not close again. They were still very, very distant. "Maybe I should try and fix you two before I start sucking up to your cousin."

Devlin smiled an odd, forlorn smile. "Fixing me and Kenny would take way more than what I think you can do." He said. "Our issues are kinda... deep."

"Then I'll just have to _go deeper_." Sigil smiled. He thumbed the green rose he'd slipped into Devlin's vest pocket. The Osmosian looked down at what his boyfriend was pointing at and the sorcerer raised the finger to boop him on the nose. Sigil swaggered back to the bush of white roses -blank roses- and made a bubble of mana around one of them so that he could pick it without picking his fingers on the stem.

"What's that for?" Asked the Osmosian.

"A peace offering." Replied the sorcerer. "You want me to try and get along with your cousin, right? I wonder what color his rose will turn."

…

It was sunset by the time both boy's finally made their ways home. Kenny retuning from his day hanging out with Ally and Devlin being escorted home by his boyfriend.

"Oh. Hi. You're home." Kenny came up short exiting the elevator, seeing his older cousin leading his boyfriend in through the hanger. Clearly their date went well since after Sigil saw him home, Devlin had invited him inside for drinks and snacks. "And you brought Lightstar's brother."

There was a tense pause.

"I, uh, brought this for you." Sigil materialized a white rose in a ball of mana and offered it to the younger boy. "Consider it a peace offering. No hard feeling towards you over what happened with my sister, and I hope you don't have hard feelings towards me." A pause. "Just to reiterate, I didn't inherit our father's mutation."

He held up his hands, palms out so that Kenny could clearly see that his hands did not have Darkstar's trademark leech-like sucker that was the defining characteristic of a Lampray.

There was another pause.

Devlin made eye-contact with his cousin, urging him to take the peace offering. Kenny was ready to start reconciling with the older boy, and the older boy wanted his cousin -whom was like a brother to him- to get along with his boyfriend. Suppressing the urge to sigh, Kenny reached for the offered rose.

"Thanks, Sig, that was really thoughtful of you."

The mana bubble around the rose vanished when Kenny touched it, allowing the boy to wrap his hand around the stem. Inevitably, he pricked a finger on one of the thorns, drawing blood. "Ouch!"

He dropped the rose, sucking on his finger, glaring at the flower as if it were a rude, uninvited guest that had just insulted his ancestors. But his angry glare melted into an expression of perplexed curiosity when the white rose turned a bright vibrant green. The same shade of green as his eyes. The Tennyson eyes. The same shade of green as the Omnitrix. His shade of green.

Devlin didn't say anything. But it figured that Kenny's magical rose would also be green. The color of the Protector archetype. After all, Kenny had been protecting Devlin since they were kids. Just like he vowed when they were eleven and ten, respectively, and Kenny was pulling Devlin out of a dumpster. Kenny vowed to be Devlin's hero, and up until the Rooters fiasco, he was Devlin's hero. Estranged though they were at the moment, there was no doubt in the Osmosian's mind that Kenny would still be his own private protector.

Bending down, Kenny picked up the rose. This time more mindful of the thorns and carful not to prick his finger. "Neat magic trick. Wonder if I can do it to if I ever learn to access my Anodite powers."

Devlin bristled at the reminder that the younger boy was an Anodite and he was not.

Sigil did not reply to the comment. He was staring at the rose with a thoughtful expression on his face. Kenny's rose had also turned green, the same shade as Devlin's rose. It was the color of the Peacemaker and the Protector. But from what the young sorcerer had seen of the other boy so far, it was Kenny that needed protecting. Then again, Devlin did swear up and down that when they were younger Kenny had been his champion. Sigil hadn't seen it, but he'd only just recently come into their lives, and Devlin had said that their issues went deep.

Originally, the sorcerer had been joking when he told Devlin he should 'try and fix' the cousins before becoming friends with Kenny. But if he could just go deeper. Revive the roots of their relationship... maybe he could fix them.

Sigil's eyes fell back on the matching roses. The color of the Protector.

And he knew just the engine to do it too.

…


	3. Therapy Elevator

Disclaimer: I do not own Ben 10 or its sequels, spin-off and related characters. All is the property of Man of Action and Cartoon Network. I'm just borrowing them for some non-profit entertainment.

Rose

Chapter Two: Therapy Elevator

Slipping the red sweater vest over the white button-down shirt, Devlin examined his reflection in the mirror. He didn't really look much like himself. He didn't usually wear so much color ('color' here meaning 'something other than black', in this case red and white). Black was his color. Black and gray. But the only thing that was black on his new school's uniform were the slacks. Slacks, not black denim jeans.

Sighing to himself, the Osmosian exited his room to meet up with the rest of the family for breakfast. It was the first day of school and Devlin still didn't know if Kevin was going to -finally- give him back the use of his car, or continue to drive him and Kenny to and from school and Group every week.

Speaking of Kenny, the younger boy was already at the breakfast table when Devlin arrived -an uncommon occurrence in the Tennyson-Levin household. He looked up when the Osmosian sat down. Blinked a couple of times as if not actually recognizing him, then raised one eyebrow and cocked his head to the side. "What are you wearing?"

"My school uniform." Devlin supplied as if this should have been obvious -and, in fact, it should have.

"Bellwood Prep has uniforms!?" Kenny gaped. "That's insane!"

The only uniform Kenny had ever worn in his life was his soccer uniform, and that he only ever had to wear a handful of weekends out of the year during game season. The idea of attending a school that required students to wear uniforms every day of the term sounded crazy to him. To be completely honest, Devlin wasn't so thrilled with the uniform thing either, but it was all part of the switching schools package.

The Osmosian gave a non-committal shrug as he sat down.

With nothing else for Kenny to comment on, the table fell quiet. Devlin pored milk over his serial almost mechanically -and crunched loudly when he ate. Kenny watched him for a bit, his own cereal turning soggy.

Then, in classic Kenny fashion, he blurted out what he was thinking without giving it a second thought. "You won't be able to spend as much time with your boyfriend now that school's started up again."

Devlin looked back up, momentarily forgetting his own food. He glanced to the kitchen door to see if any of the adults were coming or in ear-shot -specifically Kevin- then turned back to his cousin. "I know that." A pause. "And, could you maybe not call him my 'boyfriend' while we're at home? Kevin doesn't know Sigil and I are dating."

As far as the older Osmosian knew, his son and Darkstar's spawn were just friends -two guys who hung out at lot.

Kenny blinked at the older boy. "Kevin doesn't know you're gay?"

With a self-conscious shrug, Devlin looked away. "He's been stuck in the Null Void for sixteen years, that's almost two decades. The last time he was out and about in the world, it was 2017, gay marriage was still illegal in parts of the world, and 'conversion camps' were a thing. Since he's been locked up, his views haven't had the chance to evolve with the rest of the world's. I don't know what his stance was back then, and I don't know what it is now."

It was a little surprising that Kevin's opinion mattered enough to Devlin that he was willing to hide that aspect of himself from the other man. It was especially surprising considering the fact that when the other Osmosian had first shown up in their lives Devlin couldn't stand him. Guess that road-trip they took over the summer was actually really good for them.

Kenny cleared his throat, deciding it was best to change the subject. "So, I heard Aunt Gwendolyn talking and apparently Bellwood prep gets out half an hour later than Bellwood Public."

"Yeah." Devlin confirmed. Giving up on his breakfast and pulling out the most recent book he was reading. "Its more academically driven than most public schools."

"So, I was thinking." Continued the younger boy, ignoring the fact that his cousin was distracted. Kenny knew perfectly well that Devlin could both read his book and pay attention at the same time. "What if I walk over to your prep school after I get out? That way, Uncle Kevin only has to make one stop to pick us up."

The older boy almost dropped his book in his food. "' _Uncle_ Kevin'!? What the hell? When did you start calling him 'uncle'? _Why_ are you calling him 'uncle'? I still have trouble calling him 'dad'!"

Kenny only shrugged. "He and Aunt Gwendolyn might not be married, but they are..." he paused to consider his vocabulary choices "...mates, and since I call Aunt Gwendolyn 'aunt', its seems only fair that I should call Kevin 'uncle'. Plus, he's been pretty cool since he was let out of the Null Void. He helped you and Dad save Aunt Gwendolyn, he saved my life back at the Rooters' base, he cleaned you, Ally, and Billings of Servantis' mind control, and he stood up for me after I was seduced by your boyfriend's crazy sister."

"Huh." Devlin gave a thoughtful little head-tilt.

"Ya know, I'm not the only one who thinks Kevin is actually a pretty cool guy." Kenny added. "Ally also thinks he's pretty cool for a grown-up."

"Maybe you should start a fan club." The Osmosian snorted. "Look, I don't hate him anymore."

In all honesty, Devlin was pretty sure he never really hated his father. He was just angry at him for being Kevin 11,000. Resentful of the time he'd been absent from his life. And confused, because the rest of the world said that Kevin was an evil person and that Devlin _should_ hate him. But he wasn't going to say that. He and Kenny didn't talk the way they used to. They didn't share their feelings anymore.

"But the thing you don't get is that its different for me. Its easy for you and Ally to like Kevin because he's not your dad. But he is my dad. Its different with me. You and Ally can't get that."

Maybe that was another -lesser- issue between Devlin and Kenny. In addition to their trust and jealousy, Kenny just didn't understand Devlin anymore. Especially not in regards to Kevin since Kenny's own view of the older Osmosian was -overall- so much more positive.

As if the very speaking of his name had summoned the devil, Kevin appeared in the kitchen. Wearing only pajama pants, he yawned and muttered a sleepy, "Morning."

He flopped down in a vacant seat between the two boys. Then glanced between them as if in confusion. Jabbing a thumb at Kenny, he muttered to Devlin. "I don't usually see this one up this early."

"First day of school." The younger Osmosian said by way of explanation.

"Gotta make a good first impression!" Kenny elaborated. The first day of school was the most important day of school.

Kevin made a non-committal noise and turned his attention to the finding and drinking of coffee. He had never gone to school past the fifth grade and so didn't fully understand the struggle of a teenager attending a public high school. Or a teenager attending a private high school for that matter. Getting up from the table, he found the coffee pot and poured himself a mug, drinking it black because he did not trust the unlabeled glass bottle in the fridge to be milk and not some strange and bitter tasting alien condiment.

That was when Gwendolyn entered. Showered, fully dressed, and ready to face the day.

She didn't announce her presence or wish anyone a good morning immediately. The first thing she did was grab her son's messy ponytail and pull it straight, twisting it into a tight knot at the back of his head. She fixed it in place with a couple of bobby pins and a prayer to the elder gods for it to stay neat and in place for the duration of the day. It was Devlin's first day at a new school after all. He should look his best. She understood the importance of the first day of school.

"Ow! Ow!Ow! What the hell, Mom!?" The Osmosian pulled out of her grip, glaring up at his mother with betrayal in his eyes. One hand reaching up to feel the man-bun she'd just contorted his ponytail into. "Why?"

Kevin snorted into his coffee. "She just likes hair pulling."

"You hush." She jabbed a finger at her -as Kenny had put it- _mate_ (whom also had admirably long and pullable hair). "This is Devlin's first day at the school I've wanted him to go to since he was able to go to school. I want him to look his best! Now you go put a shirt on. I don't mind you wearing your pajamas to drop off the boys, but you should at least cover your chest. And don't forget, after school today, the boys have Group again."

"Pierce still has them going to that stupid therapy thing again." The older Osmosian took another sip of his coffee. He'd never received a day of therapy in his life and so had a very low opinion of the practice. Nobody seemed to care about his mental state or mental well-being back when he was a plumber. Oh, how the times have changed.

"At least until they set a date for the boys to take their Psychologicals so they can continue at the Weekend Academy." Gwen reminded him. "Now, shirt! Go put a shirt on!"

She ushered Kevin out of the kitchen. He never even got to finish his coffee.

…

Bellwood Prep was a wide, brick building with a Tudor-style facade. Kevin dropped Devlin off out front. Kenny watched from the backseat as his cousin walked up to the building, reaching a hand up to pull out the tight knot Aunt Gwendolyn had twisted into his hair. The dark pony tail bounced back into place, slightly perkier than it had been before.

Kenny expected the older boy to stop and look back. This was the first time they would be going to different schools since Devlin gained a human form and was _able_ to attend school at all.

But if he was going to, Kevin pulled the car away from the building before the older boy got the chance to. Kenny didn't know if Devlin missed him or regretted switching schools at all.

It was only after the car had merged back into traffic and turned a corner that the Osmosian looked back. But Kenny was already gone.

Suppressing a sigh, Devlin forced a casual shrug into his shoulders.

He had missed orientation -thanks to Kevin's mandatory summer road trip- and so had no idea what his schedule was or where his classes were. Luckily, Devlin wasn't the only one whom had missed orientation. There was a line of freshmen waiting in chairs in the main office and a sign taped to the counter informing all new students whom had yet to pick up their schedules that they should wait for their name to be called.

Ooh... Devlin cringed. Waiting for his name to be called. The Osmosian had his first stab of worry as he realized that every other student in the office would hear them call out 'Levin', and everyone would know that he was the son of Kevin 11,000. Siting down next to a blond boy whom looked like a freshman, the Osmosian resigned himself to his fate. Kenny wasn't here to protect him this time. They were in completely different schools now. Devlin was completely on his own.

Bitting his thumb with nerves, and tapping his foot anxiously, he listened to other names and watched other students walk up to the counter to receive their schedules. Finally, it was just Devlin and the blond freshman next to him.

"Levin, Devlin E."

And there it was.

The other boy looked up, watching Devlin as he stood up and crossed the space to the counter. Collecting his schedule, the Osmosian leaned in to the administrative assistant and asked, "Any chance I could change the name I'm enrolled under from 'Levin' to 'Tennyson'?"

She blinked at the boy in confusion. "No."

He was expecting that answer. But he still needed to ask. So that he could remind himself that he tried.

Turning to leave the office and get to his first class, Devlin accidentally made uncomfortable eye-contact with the other boy. He looked away immediately. He hated making eye-contact with people he didn't know. But to the Osmosian's great surprise, the younger boy smiled at him. Smiled.

"I thought it might be you." He said.

"What?" Devlin blinked at him. "Do I know you?"

The blond boy stood, as if to introduce himself -or reintroduce himself since he appeared to already know Devlin. But the administrative assistant cut him off before a single syllable could pass his lips.

"Wagner, Sven."

That name Devlin did recognize. Emily Wagner was his mother's best friend since forever. Back when Devlin was still trapped in his monstrous mutant form that he inherited from his father, Gwen would take him over to Emily's house for piano lessons. (Not that the Osmosian was particularly motivated to learn, but it was nice to get out of Headquarters twice a week.) And Aunt Emily had a son that was two years younger than him.

"Oh! Sven!" The Osmosian blinked at the younger boy, finally recognizing him. "Wow, its been what, five years? I haven't seen you in forever."

"Yeah." Sven collected his schedule from the administrative assistant, never taking his eyes off the older boy. "I didn't know you go here too. On all the YouTube videos of you I've seen, you always seem to be at Bellwood Public with your cousin."

"I just transferred in for Junior year." The Osmosian explained -without offering to elaborate further.

To Devlin's relief, Sven did not ask further. "I'm just starting my freshman year. We should meet up again at lunch."

"Uh, sure." The Osmosian wasn't really sure what the schools social climate was like yet, or what the etiquette was for upperclassman sitting with underclassman at lunch. But he had -literally- no other friends at this school (yet?), so there was no significant reason not to sit with the younger boy.

"Cool. I'll see you in the cafeteria and we can catch up then." Sven left the office, just as the first bell rang.

…

Kenny sat alone at lunch. It felt so strange to sit and eat his food without being ignored by a gloomy introvert reading a book on the other side of the table.

He poked at his ketchup with a french fry and wondered exactly what he was supposed to even _do_ during lunch. If he couldn't talk at or annoy his cousin, how was he supposed to fill the gap between morning classes and afternoon classes? Actually eating his food? Kenny popped the ketchup soaked fry into his mouth, decided he did not like ketchup today, and pushed his lunch tray aside.

Should he get started on the homework his first three classes already assigned? Nah. It was the first day of school. You weren't actually supposed to do any actual work on the first day of school. Everyone was still coming down from their summer vacations. Homework on the first day of school should be outlawed. (Summer homework should also be outlawed, but that was a thought for another time.)

A group of kids in his year passed his table carrying their own lunch trays. Some of them glanced in his direction then did a double take when they realized that he was alone and Baby 11,000 wasn't sitting with him. Kenny watched one of them whisper something to the rest of the group. Then all off them were glancing at him in confusion then looking away quickly as if doing so might escape his notice. They sat down at their own table, gossiping to each other over their trays.

Suppressing a very un-Tennyson-like growl, Kenny found himself getting up from his seat and crossing the cafeteria to the group.

There was no reason to automatically assume that whatever they were talking about had something to do with Devlin or his sudden absence from Kenny's lunch table or the school entirely. But as the changling and dormant Anodite drew closer he caught a few snippets of conversation.

"...don't you remember that fight they had last year?" One of them was saying. "Tennyson doesn't want Levin around him anymore."

That cut. Being reminded of the things he said to Devlin here in this very lunch room last year just before summer vacation.

"And remember:" another one cut in, "Kevin 11,000 is out of the Null Void. I saw it on the news. What kind of trouble do you think Baby 11,000 is getting into now that Daddy's back to give him a few pointers?"

Someone else at the table opened their mouth to volunteer a guess, but Kenny cut them off. "Hey!"

All eyes at the table turned to stare at him.

"Oh. Hi... Tennyson..." Unconsciously, eyes flicked down from the boy's face, to the watch he wore on his wrist. The Omnitirx. A device that could change him into any of ten different and terrifying aliens that were all perfectly capable of beating all of them up without so much as breaking a sweat (assuming said aliens did sweat). "We were just-"

"You were spreading rumors." He once again cut them off. "So I'm gonna set you straight."

Kenny leaned forward, placing both hands on the table, making sure that his Omnitrix was visible to everyone there, and locked eyes with the one that suggested Devlin was getting into trouble now that Kevin was back. He recognized the boy as one of the two from elementary school who threw Devlin in a dumpster and closed the lid on him.

"The reason why Dev isn't here, is because you people are all so cruel and insufferable that he had to transfer to a different school." He was gonna leave it at that. Let them stew in their own guilt for a bit. But this guy was one of the ones that threw Dev in the trash. Why assume he had a conscience that would stew him for driving a person to change schools? (Even though, technically, it was Kenny that drove Devlin to change schools.) "And, by the way, Devlin isn't the only one that Uncle Kevin's been giving pointers to."

There was a pregnant pause.

A person could feel the tension like a prickling on their skin.

Then, "'U-uncle Kevin'?" The boy blinked at him. "You- you call Kevin 11,000 ' _Uncle_ Kevin'?"

"Yeah. I do." Kenny nodded. "You wanna make something of it?"

"N-no. No." Everyone at the table shook their heads.

"Good." He nodded, leaning back from the table. "I'm heading over to Dev's new school after we get out and Uncle Kevin is gonna pick us up. He loves hearing about our days. I'd hate to have to tell him that Dev's bullies are still making trouble for him even after the transfer. He really would not be happy to hear that."

Kenny didn't wait to hear their reply, or even give them time to process the threat he'd just made. The changling turned around and walked away from the table, his backpack over one shoulder, and headed to his next class. It was the first class he was early for all day. But he didn't notice. Kenny was thinking of his cousin the whole time and how he was doing at his own school.

…

Sven caught up with Devlin again after school let out. Half an hour later than the Osmosian was used to. Bellwood Public did not put as great an emphasis on academia as Bellwood Prep did. They preferred to shave classes so that the school day ended half an hour earlier so that, that time could be devoted to their sports teams. Prep also had sports teams -among other extracurriculars- but they were held after school hours with parent permission.

The younger boy came up beside Devlin, brushed a strand of golden hair behind his ear. "I was gonna try auditioning for the show choir. Are you gonna join any clubs or teams, Devlin?"

"Uh, no." The Osmosian informed him, heading straight for the school's main gate. "I'm a loyal member of the Go-Home-After-School Club."

That, and every Monday and Wednesday he and Kenny were both required to attend a therapy group. At least, if they wanted to continue their Plumbers training, and Devlin definitely wanted to continue his Plumbers training. So no after school clubs or teams for him.

"Oh. Okay." The younger boy shrugged. "Well, tell Aunt Gwendolyn I said 'hi'."

He turned around and headed back inside.

"Who was that?" Kenny was waiting for Devlin outside the gate. He looked so out of place in normal street clothes surrounded by so many other people all wearing the same uniform.

"Do you remember my Mom's friend -Emily?" He asked by way of explanation. "That was her son. He would hang out when she used to take me over there for piano lessons when we were younger."

"Huh." Kenny looked back to the place where he had disappeared back into the school. "I've never seen you hang out with him before."

Devlin shrugged. "He's two years younger than me, and we don't really have that much in common."

"Ah." Kenny nodded.

There was an awkward pause.

Devlin brushed his long dark ponytail back over his shoulder.

Kenny rocked back and forth on his heels.

The silence between them stretched.

Kenny sucked on his teeth. What else was there to say? So, like he usually tended to do when he didn't know how to fill an awkward silence, the boy just blurted out his every impulsive thought without filter. "I spoke to Dave Karovski today."

Devlin's eyes flashed at the name. "Oh?"

Kenny flushed. Remembering the last time he 'spoke' to Dave Karovski. "I may... -or may not- ...have threatened him again."

"I see." There was no judgment there. Devlin never disapproved of Kenny threatening his bullies. That being said, he didn't exactly approve of it either. As someone aspiring to be a Plumber, he shouldn't promote the use of violence -or the threat of violence- as the first go-to method for achieving and preserving peace. That being said, the Osmosian couldn't argue with results. "Is Uncle Ben gonna get another concerned phone call from the school?"

"No..." A pause. "Probably not."

Devlin rolled his eyes.

That was when another person came up to them. It wasn't Kevin, whom was supposed to pick them up. It was Sigil.

He took them both by surprise, neither boy expected to see Devlin's magical boyfriend much after the school year started. Sigil walked right up to Devlin, took the other boy by the hand and leaned into kiss him. The Osmosian hesitated for just a second, then leaned in the rest of the way to meet his boyfriend half-way. Lips slightly parted, heads tilting to the sides, bodies pressing together. -And then Devlin moaned.

It made Kenny very uncomfortable to watch. He politely averted his eyes. Watching the street instead of his cousin.

An electric green muscle car with black racing stripes turned the corner and was pulling up to the school. Kenny elbowed the Osmosian in the back. "Your dad's here."

Devlin instantly broke the kiss, letting go of Sigil as if the other boy had burned him.

The car stopped right in front of the gate and Kevin leaned over the passenger seat to look at the trio. "The hell is Darkstar's kid doing here?"

Devlin hesitated just one second too long, not knowing what to say.

So Kenny stepped in and blurted out the first thing that came into his head. "He's coming to Group with us!"

"What?" Kevin raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Devlin blinked.

"Yeah!" Now Kenny had to scramble to explain his absurd suggestion. Sigil was neither a cadet at the Plumbers Weekend Academy, neither was he a Plumbers kid that could take advantage of Plumbers benefits. "Because of what happened over the summer, ya know. His sister betraying him, and her and his dad abandoning him and all. He should come to Group with us!"

Sigil looked at his feet at the reminder of how his sister had betrayed and abandoned him the moment they met their real father. Devlin offered, what he hoped, was a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

Kevin only rolled his eyes. Therapy was never offered to him for anything when he was their age -or even younger and in more need of it. No one offered him therapy when he was eleven and emotionally imbalanced and didn't know how to use his powers without going completely off his nut insane. No one offered him therapy when the Omnitrix mutated him into a stone-wood-Taydenite golem that couldn't even feel the touch of his girlfriend's hand in his. No one offered him therapy after he came back from his Ultimate Kevin mutation and had to come to terms with the fact that he nearly killed both his best friend and the woman he loved.

Kids these days were so coddled. "Whatever. He rides in back next to Tiny-Tennyson. Now get in and lets get going."

The boys piled into the car and Kevin pulled away from the curb and merged into traffic.

Very tactfully, Sigil did not ask what 'Group' was until after the older man had already dropped them off and was pulling out of the parking lot.

"Its a stupid therapy thing Kenny and I have to go to if we wanna continue at the Weekend Academy." Devlin informed him, waiting until his father was out of sight before taking his boyfriend by the hand and leading him into the building. "Its stupid."

They passed a sign in the lobby that said 'Elevator Out of Order! Please use stairs.' That was fine. Their Group room was on the ground floor anyway, they didn't have to take the elevator -or the stairs.

"What's it for?" Asked the sorcerer, thinking of Kenny's explanation that he should come too because of what happened with his sister over the summer.

"Its therapy." Kenny took up the explanation. "Because-" a pause "-because of what happened to all of us during the Rooters thing. Devlin, Ally, and Billings brainwashed. Speedy kidnapped. Me almost killed. They decided to postpone our Psychologicals until the shrink says we're all better."

"Oh." Now Sigil understood. 'Group' was something you sent people to when bad things happened to them. That's why Kenny brought up his father and his sister. "Does it help."

"Not really." Both Osmosian and changling shook their heads.

"It'd work a whole lot better if everyone felt more comfortable and could actually talk about what bothered them." Kenny elaborated. "But nobody likes our shrink, and we're all pretty private people in general. No one wants to say their personal business out loud where everyone else can hear. Honestly, the therapy would be much more effective if everyone could just do one-on-one sessions. They could really _go deeper._ Ya know?"

Sigil didn't really. Not fully. But he had an idea. -And was getting an idea.

"This is it." Devlin held the door open for his boyfriend and his cousin.

As per usual. Everyone else was already there. Kenny and Devlin were the last to arrive. All heads looked up when the door opened, then all eyes instantly shifted focus to the new and unfamiliar face.

"Who's the manic pixie dream boy?" Billings asked, rustling his Necrofriggian wings and crossing his arms over his chest.

"There's no need to be rude." Ally chided him.

"You're not an authority here, Albright." The moody hybrid reminded her. "You don't get to regulate my behavior. And who's regulating Fake-Tennyson over there? You can't bring guests to therapy, Fake-Tennyson. These things are supposed to be a safe space -no audience. Why do you think there are rules about shrinks talking about sessions."

"What if I want him here?" Devlin asked, taking Sigil by the hand. "What if having him here would make me more comfortable and more willing to share?"

It was an out and out lie. Devlin had no intentions of sharing anything in Group. If he wasn't going to share his feelings, hopes, and fears with Kenny, then he sure as hell wasn't going to even allude to his deeper feelings in front of Dylan Billings.

Minie stood up on her hair.

"For cripes sake, let Devy have friends, Dilly!" She snapped.

Minie Armstrong was the youngest member of their group -only 10 years old. A Tetramand-Kinecealeran hybrid. She was the daughter Manny Armstrong and Helen Wheels, both of which had been victims of Hector Servantis' Amalgam Project where they were only children themselves. After learning that his experiments had managed to successfully procreate in the adulthood, Servantis had kidnapped Minie along with Devlin, Billings, and Ally in order to both study, and brainwash into becoming another one of his Rooters.

"Don't call me 'Dilly', brat!" Billing snapped.

The little hybrid girl just hmphed. She had no intention of listening to him.

There was a beat in which all eyes then turned to the shrink for a final ruling.

A stylus tapped a tablet in thought. Lips stretched into a patient and practice 'gentle smile'. "I think its wonderful you found someone who makes you feel more comfortable about yourself and willing to open up." The councilor finally said. "But these are group sessions and I can't allow a guest to sit in on sessions unless the rest of the Group is okay with it. Having an outsider listening might make the others uncomfortable. I don't think I need to explain to you how that's counter productive to what we're trying to do here."

For a moment, Devlin looked like he was about to argue the point. But then Sigil patted him on the shoulder.

"I can wait in the lobby." He left.

Kenny and Devlin came into the room fully and claimed the only two vacant seats left.

The councilor tapped the stylus on the tablet one more time. "Okay. Lets get started. We haven't seen each other all summer."

…

Not knowing how long this Group session would take, Sigil paced the lobby, waiting for Devlin and Kenny -mostly just Devlin- to get out.

He walked up to the out of order elevator. The doors were stuck slightly open and the sorcerer poked his head in to fins a tight little box of a room. An electrical access panel hung open, an empty chair -presumably for a maintenance worker- was pushed back from the exposed wires and cables and sat in the center of the elevator floor.

Staring at that chair in the tiny room, he was reminded of what Kenny said about their Group therapy. That it would work better if ti wasn't a group. If it was one on one. If people were alone, they could really go deeper, and get into the roots of their issues. Maybe Devlin and Kenny could get to the roots of their issues. He had been joking before, but maybe Sigil really could fix his boyfriend's relationship with his best friend.

A therapy elevator and a few blank roses.

…

(A/N: Just a friendly reminder, this fic is fully illustrated on AO3.)


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